5 parenting lessons to learn from comedy drama Parenthood

Johannesburg - Being mom and dad to a brood of difficult kids makes our daily office jobs look as easy as riding a bicycle.

It’s tough raising kids – but it can be fun too! Parenthood (2010-2015, seasons 1-6 now available on ShowMax) shows us that parenting isn’t child’s play with some bittersweet moments throughout the series.

You think your boss is bad? Try being both good cop and bad cop at once!

Meet the Braverman family: At the top of the family tree are grandparents Zeek and Camille (Craig T Nelson and Bonnie Bedelia).

On the “branch”’ below that are their kids, single mom Sarah (Lauren Graham of Gilmore Girls fame), and her two kids Amber and Drew (Mae Whitman and Miles Heizer); Julia (Erika Christensen), a successful attorney trying to juggle work and motherhood, alongside her stay-at-home husband, Joel (Sam Jaeger); commitment-phobe Crosby (Dax Shepard), who’s thrown a curveball when his old flame Jasmine (Joy Bryant) shows up with a kid, Jabbar (Tyree Brown); and Adam (Peter Krause), his wife Kristina (Monica Potter) and their teenage daughter Haddie and little Max (Sarah Ramos and Max Burkholder) who has Asperger's Syndrome.

The Bravermans are a big, big brood, which means plenty of entertaining and dramatic moments, such as:

1. A close family is not necessarily an intrusive one.

Season 3, episode 16

Do a Google search for the word “parenting” and you’re likely to find all sorts of complicated phrases, including this one: “parenting with love and logic”. But when it comes to the Braverman brood, logic isn’t always possible. In the aptly titled episode Tough Love, Julia struggles to keep her nose out of Zoe’s (Rosa Salazar) life.

2. No family is perfect – not even the Bravermans – but everything works out in the end where brotherly love is involved.

Season 3, episode 18

Adam and Crosby are in a tussle in full view of the entire family, but the episode ends with a heartfelt speech at Jasmine and Crosby’s wedding delivered by his brother Adam.

3. It’s okay to be scared and also to be honest. Shielding your kids isn’t always the best way to handle delicate situations.

Season 4, episode 15

While she’s away at college Haddie and her dad have a heart-to-heart after she demands he treat her “like an adult” and be honest about how her mom’s really doing during her cancer struggle. Adam is brought to tears as he opens up about the situation to his daughter for the first time.

4. Even when times are tough (actually make that, especially when times are tough) you can always rely on family.

Season 4, episode 14

Little Victor gets adopted after Joel and Julia struggle for awhile on whether or not to officially become his parents. The long-term effects of adopting Victor are discussed extensively before the decision is taken.

5. It’s okay not to have all the answers.

Season 5, episode 18

Max is in tears after being bullied at school and asks why he’s different, breaking Adam and Kristina’s hearts. Max’s parents feel powerless as their son struggles with the realisation that he isn’t like other kids, but finally seeing their walls come down is moving.

Watch Parenthood S1-S6 on ShowMax now. Sign up for a free trial at www.ShowMax.com

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